1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc cable and a method for producing the same, the disc cable traveling within piping to carry feed for domestic animals to a large number of feeders.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a feed carrying apparatus for carrying feed for domestic animals to a number of feeders through piping from a feed hopper, a feed carrying apparatus 101 as shown in FIG. 7 has been heretofore known. In the feed carrying apparatus 101, a large number of feeders 107, 107, . . . are disposed on piping 104 connected endlessly through feed falling pipes 106, 106, . . . held in a predetermined spacing relation, and a driving device 102 to forcibly feed a disc cable 103 inserted into the piping 104 and connected endlessly in a direction of arrow x is disposed.
Further, a feed throw-in port 105a is formed at the lower end of a feed hopper 105 shown by the dotted lines in the figure, and feed fall-ports 106a are formed at the lower end of the feed falling pipes 106, whereby feed S is thrown into the piping 104 from the feed throw-in port 105a, carried within the piping 104 by the disc cable 103, and supplied from the feed fall-ports 106a into feeders 107.
In the disc cable 103, as shown in FIG. 8, discs 112 are fixedly mounted in a predetermined spacing relation on a wire 111, and the wire 111 is constituted such that as shown in FIG. 9, a bundled members 115 having a plurality of metal wires 114 bundled are twisted around a fiber element 113 arranged in the center.
However, the disc cable 103 is driven in a state loaded with high tension, comes in contact with mechanism parts such as a pulley, and is curved within the driving device 102 and at a corner part 104a of the piping 104. Therefore, the wire 111 becomes worn as the time passes, and the surface thereof becomes napped. After passage of a few years, the wire 114 is partly cut, whose fine pieces are mixed into the feed S and carried.
When domestic animals eat such fine pieces of the wire 114 together with the feed S, the wire 114 which is made of metal as described above sometimes sticks into the internal organs such as the stomach and the intestines of domestic animals, and the domestic animals becomes sick or the growth thereof is impeded. Further, when a human being eats such the internal organs of domestic animals, there poses a problem that the human body is seriously affected thereby.
The present invention has been accomplished in order to solve the problem as noted in the conventional disc cable. It is an object of the present invention to provide a disc cable capable of preventing occurrence of fine pieces of a wire caused by wear and damage of the wire over a long period to be mixed into feed.
For solving the aforementioned problem, the present invention provides a disc cable which travels within piping connected endlessly, the cable having discs disposed thereon in a predetermined spacing relation, wherein a cover layer formed of synthetic resin is formed on the surface of a metal wire to constitute a cable.
Preferably, the synthetic resin for forming the cover layer is synthetic resin having flexibility.
Alternatively, in the disc cable, the cover layer is not partly formed in the cable, but a groove-like part to which is exposed the surface of the metal wire is formed, and a protrusion corresponding to the groove-like part is formed on the disc.
Alternatively, in the disc cable, the cover layer is formed on the surface of the metal wire in predetermined length, and the disc is formed integral with the cover layer.
Preferably, the disc is formed with a fitting hole reaching the substantially central part so that one end of the cover layer is fitted in the fitting hole.
Further, in the disc cable, an inner layer part of a boss part is formed integral with a flange part of the disc, one end of the cover layer is covered over the inner layer part of the boss part to form an outer layer of the boss part.
Preferably, a depression is formed in the inner layer part of the boss part, and a protrusion corresponding to the depression is formed on one end of the cover layer.
The producing method for a disc cable according to the present invention is able to produce a disc cable of the present invention suitably, and comprises a step of forming a cover layer formed of synthetic resin on the surface of a metal wire, and a step of molding a disc and fixedly mounting it on the cable.
Preferably, in forming the cover layer, a groove-like part which the surface of the metal wire is exposed in which the cover layer is not partly formed in a predetermined spacing relation in a longitudinal direction of the cable, and in molding the disc, synthetic resin is flown into the groove-like part to form a protrusion on the disc.
Further, the producing method for a disc cable according to the present invention comprises a step of forming a cover layer formed of synthetic resin on the surface of a metal wire in a predetermined length, and molding a disc formed of synthetic resin integral with the cover layer.
Preferably, in molding the disc, a fitting hole is formed in the disc, and one end of the cover layer is fitted in the fitting hole.
Further, the producing method for a disc cable according to the present invention comprises a step of molding a disc formed of synthetic resin on the surface of a metal wire to fixedly mount the wire, and a step of forming a cover layer formed of synthetic resin on the surface of the metal wire and covering one end thereof on a boss part of the disc.
Preferably, in molding an inner layer part of the boss part and a flange part of the disc integrally, a depression is formed in the inner layer part of the boss part of the disc, and in forming the cover layer and covering one end thereof on the inner layer part of the boss part of the disc to form an outer layer of the boss part, a protrusion corresponding to the depression is formed on one part of the cover layer.